Distance
by MediaJumper
Summary: Royai (umm... drabble? oneshot? I give up). Based on the lyrics of Christina Perri's song "Distance"


This is me, doing a Royai idea I had since I heard "Distance" by Christina Perri. I wish it was AMV, but I don't own a single DVD. Or editing program. Or the anime/manga, so don't sue me please! Anyway, I basically followed the lyrics, skipping the chorus to the end. Takes place before Maes' death.

* * *

Riza sighed. The sun was shining, the air was perfect, there were piles of paperwork and Roy was asleep. Again. She looked over, unholstering her gun. Just about to fire a warning shot an inch above his head, he whispered something. He looked so pleasant, she leaned in to find out what he was saying. Roy Mustang _didn't_ have good dreams.

"Riza," he breathed out again, smiling. She stood straight, feeling the heat of a blush rushing up her neck and face. He – he felt that way? Did he, the man plagued by nightmares of Ishval, have sweet dreams about _her_? It was possible. No. She wouldn't let it get into her head. She wouldn't let herself believe that his cure to the terrors of Ishval was so similar to hers; dreams about _him_.

Forgetting it, she fired her gun.

* * *

He sat across the lunch table from Maes. Maes was rambling about his sweet wife and lovely daughter. "You know, Roy, you should find yourself a wife." Roy nearly spit his coffee in laughter.

"Who would be stupid enough to marry me?" He smirked. "I have too much fun with other ladies." The colonel _was_ a bit of a player.

"How about her?" Riza walked by. This time, Roy did spit his coffee. He felt a blush rage up his cheeks. He gulped down his coffee, trying to regain his composure. "Why don't you two just give up already? You know, the best part of being in love is _falling_ in love."

Roy finally felt confident enough to put his coffee cup down. "Don't call it that," he commanded his subordinate.

"What, love?" Hughes laughed. "Why not? Call it like it is." Roy just sighed.

* * *

Roy had putting off his paperwork again, so the two of them were at the office late. Feeling absolutely exhausted, Riza put her head down for a minute. She felt sleep closing in, so she stood and walked around the office.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked, suddenly next to her. She turned, his face only inches away from hers. She felt her uniform brushing against him. He wasn't drunk, so she could still reason with him.

"Please don't stand so close to me," she said, returning to her desk. Slightly away from him, she felt herself take a breath. With air finally inside her lungs, she felt her ears turn pink.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, walking over to her side. She turned her head away from him, not wanting to see what her bright red face as she thought about how close his lips had been from hers.

Suddenly, a memory struck her. Once, whilst in the trenches of Ishval, a resident had hovered over her like her CO had. He'd pulled out a knife, about to thrust it into her stomach. She was out of ammo and could only watch his smug grin as he pulled his hand back for extra power. But Maes had seen it and thrown one of _his_ knives into the man's back. He spat blood across her face as he fell, but she was alive.

Tears seeped from her eyes. She tried to blink them back. It wasn't working, though. She was too tired to stop them. A sob escaped her lips.

"Shhh," Roy cooed, pulling his subordinate off her chair and into his arms. "I know. I remember it, too." In fact, her tears had brought a memory of his to light; a woman hunched over her dead child and knowing he would have to kill her, too. Silently, in each other's arms, they let every unshed tear of the last year out.

That would be the last time Roy had hugged Riza, the last time Riza would let her guard down until...

A silent oath was formed between the two that night. She would wait until he didn't need her to protect him. He would wait until she wouldn't worry about disobeying orders. They would keep their distance from each other, as much as possible. They wouldn't utter their true feelings where the other could hear. It was too much of a hazard to one another. They wouldn't be able to stop from returning the words. If the other slipped, in an instant, they would both be gone.

They silently broke their embrace, grabbed their coats and left. Once she was far enough, Riza turned to look at her colonel, swaggering away. How long could they keep their façade up? A bit of wind rustled her hair. As it skidded by, she let the words she'd longed to say for so long slip out. "I love you."

Down the street, Roy turned his collar up to the wind. "I love you" he heard it say. Just a whisper, but he spun around. Riza was leaving the safety of the streetlamp's glow. He had imagined it, he was sure. He wondered exactly the same thing; how long until he broke down? "I love you, too, Riza."

Riza sighed. The sun was shining, the air was perfect, there were piles of paperwork and Roy was asleep. Again. She looked over, unholstering her gun. Just about to fire a warning shot an inch above his head, he whispered something. He looked so pleasant, she leaned in to find out what he was saying. Roy Mustang _didn't_ have good dreams.

"Riza," he breathed out again, smiling. She stood straight, feeling the heat of a blush rushing up her neck and face. He – he felt that way? Did he, the man plagued by nightmares of Ishval, have sweet dreams about _her_? It was possible. No. She wouldn't let it get into her head. She wouldn't let herself that his cure to the terrors of Ishval was so similar to hers.

Forgetting it, she fired her gun.

He sat across the lunch table from Maes. Maes was rambling about his sweet wife and lovely daughter. "You know, Roy, you should find yourself a wife." Roy nearly spit his coffee in laughter.

"Who would be stupid enough to marry me?" He smirked. "I have too much fun with other ladies." The colonel _was_ a bit of a player.

"How about her?" Riza walked by. This time, Roy did spit his coffee. He felt a blush rage up his cheeks. He gulped down his coffee, trying to regain his composure. "Why don't you two just give up already? You know, the best part of being in love is _falling_ in love."

Roy finally felt confident enough to put his coffee cup down. "Don't call it that," he commanded his subordinate.

"What, love?" Hughes laughed. "Why not? Call it like it is." Roy just sighed.

Roy had putting off his paperwork again, so the two of them were at the office late. Feeling absolutely exhausted, Riza put her head down for a minute. She felt sleep closing in, so she stood and walked around the office.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked, suddenly next to her. She turned, his face only inches away from hers. She felt her uniform brushing against him. He wasn't drunk, so she could still reason with him.

"Please don't stand so close to me," she said, returning to her desk. Slightly away from him, she felt herself take a breath. With air finally inside her lungs, she felt her ears turn pink.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, walking over to her side. She turned her head away from him, not wanting to see what her bright red face as she thought about how close his lips had been from hers.

Suddenly, a memory struck her. Once, whilst in the trenches of Ishval, a resident had hovered over her like her CO had. He'd pulled out a knife, about to thrust it into her stomach. She was out of ammo and could only watch his smug grin as he pulled his hand back for extra power. But Maes had seen it and thrown one of _his_ knives into the man's back. He spat blood across her face as he fell, but she was alive.

Tears seeped from her eyes. She tried to blink them back. It wasn't working, though. She was too tired to stop them. A sob escaped her lips.

"Shhh," Roy cooed, pulling his subordinate off her chair and into his arms. "I know. I remember it, too." In fact, her tears had brought a memory of his to light; a woman hunched over her dead child and knowing he would have to kill her, too. Silently, in each other's arms, they let every unshed tear of the last year out.

That would be the last time Roy had hugged Riza, the last time Riza would let her guard down until...

A silent oath was formed between the two that night. She would wait until he didn't need her to protect him. He would wait until she wouldn't worry about disobeying orders. They would keep their distance from each other, as much as possible. They wouldn't utter their true feelings where the other could hear. It was too much of a hazard to one another. They wouldn't be able to stop from returning the words. If the other slipped, in an instant, they would both be gone.

They silently broke their embrace, grabbed their coats and left. Once she was far enough, Riza turned to look at her colonel, swaggering away. How long could they keep their façade up? A bit of wind rustled her hair. As it skidded by, she let the words she'd longed to say for so long slip out. "I love you."

Down the street, Roy turned his collar up to the wind. "I love you" he heard it say. Just a whisper, but he spun around. Riza was leaving the safety of the streetlamp's glow. He had imagined it, he was sure. He wondered exactly the same thing; how long until he broke down? "I love you, too, Riza."


End file.
